Pop, pop, pop.
There it was. There were the shots again, now I heard them. It was too late. Everything started to ring and ring and ring. There was an annoying ass ringing sound in my ear.
Screeeeeech
That was probably them driving away to leave me for dead. What in the fuck?
I saw Chloe running my way and I reached up for her to grab my hand. She was saying something to me, but I couldn’t understand her. She looked like she was screaming it too, but I still couldn’t hear her. I just smiled and held her hand for as long as I could. She kissed me on my lips and said something again, but I didn’t hear it or I couldn’t make sense of it. I was just happy that she kissed me. I longed for her lips to touch mine. It just sucked that I was going out this way and that I had no idea why in the fuck this was happening to me and on such a happy day… Whatever though, I had my Chloe holding my hand and right by my side. I could die a happy man knowing my girl really did love me. I'm sorry, Chloe and Destinee. I'm sorry, Kaleo.
Chapter 11
Tangie
“Shit, the damn assassination,” I mumbled with my head down in my arms as I leaned on the desk. I was in tears, I knew I had messed up and that Travis was probably going to be super pissed at me for fucking it up. I had one job, one fucking job, and I couldn’t even do that. Dude, he is going to kill me. I might as well plan my own assassination and assign him to the job to carry it out. That way, one of my missions will actually be successful, damn!
Knock, knock.
“Oh my fucking God I am as good as dead, I can feel it,” I whispered to myself as I lifted up my head and quickly wiped away my tears. I weakly told him to come in and waited for the shit storm to just hit me.
“Tangie…”
Aw shit, he came up in here shaking his head and the first thing out of his mouth was my name. I really am going to die, like right now. So much for getting married and having kids or my career. All because I fucked up one job.
“Tangie…. I am so proud of you!” He skipped over to me and picked me up in a hug, which scared the shit out of me because I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not. All I knew was that I was in his death grip and if he were to have squeezed me a little tighter, I would have just popped. Little Tangie pieces would have decorated this room nicely.
He gently put me down and patted me on my head. I still had no idea what the hell was going on, but then again, when did I?
“Tangie, although the assassination did go to shits, you still made moves, and I was still able to get what I wanted because of that, so we still won.”
I still didn’t understand, or maybe I did? I don’t know. To me it sounded like he was saying that since I fucked up, my fuck up served as a distraction for his men to go ahead and get the shit? I guess.
I just smiled and nodded my head pretending I understood. He shook his head and laughed as he placed a nice, thick, envelope on my desk. I tilted my head at it and curiously poked at it, afraid this was some new assassination tool, like a bomb of some sort. I mean if he was trying to show me a bomb, I would have appreciated a warning or a model of what I was going to be fucking with. I swear man, this shit is hella bizarre.
“That’s for you. Next time though, I expect all other assassinations to go better. You did make a nice move with the other thing I had you working on. I liked how you planned the other one, you a real one for that planning and shit. I really appreciated that one for real, baby. Go on and open it, don't worry it ain't gonna explode in yo face”
Uh, was he reading my mind or some shit cause I for sure thought this little envelope thing was a damn bomb and that he was trying to kill me. Now that we both agreed that wouldn’t happen, I guess I'll go on and open it up.
I slid my finger under the flap and opened it up quickly. I rose an eyebrow as I pulled out the thick stack, soon realizing that this was money and definitely not a damn bomb. I looked up at him looking like a deer in headlights.
“There is more where that came from. I really am proud of you. Keep up the good work and I promise you, your cash flow is going to be cray.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. I couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief. I was so glad he didn’t notice how tense I really was. I tried my best to pull that shit off and it looked like it worked. I picked up the envelope again and took out the stack of money. I took the time to count it and realized that I was holding five thousand dollars in my hand. What in the hell? That’s more than I made in three or four months, after one measly mission that I could have sworn I fucked up.
Now it was up to me, for real. Did I really want to go through with this and make all this good money? I mean, shit, if I can make what I would in three or four months at the hospital in only a matter of a few days, that would sound like a good deal to anyone. It would almost be stupid for me to not take this offer, to be completely honest. It’s just, if I do go this route, that means me giving up school and my career that I worked so hard to get into and maintain. Then again, maybe this was a sign of some sort. Now that I think of it, I just got back with Travis, he gave me a good job, he loves me as his little sister, there is job security because drugs will always be around, and the money is fucking unbelievable. Like really incredible. I can make this shit work but the job is so dangerous. Why is it so hard for me to come to this damn conclusion?
I sat back in the chair and nervously bit my finger. It was a horrible habit of mine that I did when I was deep in thought or in between a major decision. I just sat back and nibbled on my thumb for a while, wanting to break down into tears because there were so many pros and cons of working with my brother. Now that I think of it, even though I did my best to steer clear of this bullshit, I subconsciously found myself wanted to know more about it. So far, this shit has been weird but it's also kind of fun. Well, killing people isn’t fun, but planning out missions and making sure things went through in order to grow was hella fun. So yeah, maybe I won’t mind killing off a few niggas for my brother, they only in his way anyway. Besides, it’s their fault for getting involved in the game. I feel like I’m going to be hella trigger happy though. Who fucking cares—Travis might get a kick out of that anyway.
How am I reasoning this shit? I guess that justifies it; I’ll get myself into this cartel and learn the ins and outs of it. I’ll keep going to school, though, just to cover my ass and just so I can have something to fall back to if this doesn’t go as planned. I may one day have to fully commit to the game, but for now, I was only getting my feet wet into what this craziness was all about. Alright, let’s do this.
Chapter 12
Kaleo
I had been enjoying my time here with the fam. We had some friends over for some snacks and just to socialize. As much as I liked being here with them and being able to kick back, I felt hella unproductive and I was so ready to go back and get shit together. I had no idea what was going on and I was afraid that something was going to happen to my business or worse, my partners. I tried my best to keep my mind off the game, but it was hard because I basically lived it and me being away from it felt like I was takin’ the nigga from the hood when the hood still lived in me. I really did try though.
Kyle made his way towards me while I was stuck in a daze just sitting in the kitchen behind a cup of coffee. I saw him coming so I wasn’t as startled as I would usually be whenever I was deep in my thoughts, so that was good.
“Hey, so you gave me a brief explanation of what I was possibly getting myself into and you have my attention. I’m down for you, bro, what else do I need to do in order to fully associate myself and be there for you? I’m ready.”
I liked his eagerness to want to just dive into the game, but this shit wasn’t easy. It’s not like his server job where he learns the tasks and applies them every day. Nah, with this, you need to constantly be on your toes and be ready for whatever life is gonna throw at your face. He was naive and just ready for some cash to flow his way and I get that, I just need him to real
ize that this ain’t no restaurant and that his life is on the line by joining sides with me. I could use him though; he is a very smart kid who just needs a lil street sense.
“Yo, Kyle. I appreciate you wanting to take this head on and wanting to do your best, but it ain’t easy like that, aight? This shit is real and you need to realize you may not make it out alive. I trust you, you my lil nigga and I want only the best for you and I really wanna help you out financially. I know you would make a great asset to my—”
“What are you two talking about?” Momma asked as she walked in all sassy with her arms crossed. I was afraid that she had just heard all the shit I was spittin’. I recounted all I said and man, did it sound bad. I threatened his life and I almost said that he would be a great asset to my gang. I bet Momma would have passed out right then and there just from hearing that word. I had to think of something and quick before she became even more suspicious. I looked over at Kyle and saw him kind of panicking and that shit made me want to start panicking but I knew better than to do that. I just smiled over at Momma and took her hands into mine, putting on the best show I could manage.
“Oh Momma, we are just talking about my organization!”
I looked over at Kyle and saw him start to freak the fuck out. I pursed my lips at him before mouthing that he just better calm the fuck down. I then averted my attention back to my beautiful mother.
“My organization for saving those who are victims of domestic violence. It goes well with my degree. Not only are we going to help those who are in dire need by supplying them with food, we are giving them health tips and making their lives so much better. I was just telling him how his life may be on the line just because they aren’t in the greatest of neighborhoods to be venturing in, but it's for a good cause and we have staff who are around us and protect us. Nothing to worry about Momma.”
She fed right into my bullshit and started to shed a tear. Guess I impressed the fuck out of her. That is real interesting to say the least. I thought momma was one to not fall into bullshit, but I suppose my web of lies caught her real good this time.
“Aw baby, that is so good. I’m so proud of you boys for making a decision like that. I knew I raised some fine men. I love y’all. Well, carry on! Dinner will be ready soon so when I call y’all just come take your seats.”
And with that, she left. Damn, I just got away with murder. I looked over at Kyle who was starting to laugh nervously. He also looked real surprised that I just did that and that it was so easy to change her mind. It was great.
“Good shit, Kaleo,” he said as he hit my arm. I, too, believed this was some good shit—if I could lie to Momma I could lie to anyone. Not that I felt good about doing this, it was just Momma didn’t need to know the type of shit I get myself involved in. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“All right, now that Momma is gone, I can continue on a little more. So I want to bring you on to the team and I’ll have you work with me. You can live with me and you will basically be under my wing. When I go back, I’ll set up everything so you can just come in. We need to figure a story for Momma. We can probably tell her that you transferring schools and we can figure it out from there. When you finally get there, I’ll show you the ropes and get you started, sound good?”
Kyle nodded and smiled. Kyle and I just sat in the living room, talking about his life and how he was just ready for the change. I had to constantly remind him that it really was not going to be easy. He would just have to learn the hard way then, but I’ll be there for him when he falls.
“Alright boys! Time to come get some of momma’s cooking. I made y’all some fried chicken strips with mashed potatoes and some greens. Now come to the table and help me out!”
Kyle and I bolted up and ran to the dining room. The smell of chicken was intoxicating and made a nigga start droolin’. You really don’t realize how hungry you are until you smell her cooking; it’ll have you forgetting about the last good meal you thought you had.
Kyle helped me set the table and poured us all some water and soda while I put down the rest of the plates. Momma and Pops brought in the food and sat down with us. We held hands and Daddy said grace.
“Lord, please watch over my family but especially my boys. They are my pride and joy and I am so proud of what they are becoming. Continue to watch over them as they continue on with their careers. They have a way to go but I just pray you protect them wherever you lead them.”
“Amen”
Amen was right. If only Pops knew the truth that he was spittin’. I really needed the protection and shit when roamin’ these streets. I never know what tomorrow promises, hell, I ain’t even know what the next five minutes of my life promised. I took his prayer to heart.
“Momma, your cooking is next level. This is so delicious,” I said as I shoveled the food into my mouth.
She let out a hearty laugh and advised me to slow down. I didn’t listen—when did I ever listen? I kept on hoarding the food like it was my last meal. We all just laughed and enjoyed one another’s company.
Bzzz, Bzzz.
My phone kept ringing but I ignored it. I was having dinner with the family and I didn’t want to be rude by answering the call. So I let it ring a couple more times and hoped that whoever was calling me would get the memo and leave me alone.
Bzzz, Bzzzzzzz.
The shit kept ringing and I was starting to get hella irritated. I looked over at momma and asked to be excused. She didn’t look mad and just motioned that I go ahead and answer it. I said thank you and walked outside. I looked at my phone and saw five missed calls from JB. They were back-to-back calls so I was left to assume that this was important. I calmed myself down and called him back.
“My bad, JB. I was at dinner with the fam. You good?”
All I heard was heavy breathing for a moment.
“KALEO, KALEO. N-NIGGA! YOU HEAR ME?”
Shit, he was all yelling in my ear and it hurt so fucking bad. I didn’t get mad though, I remained calm and just let him continue.
“I hear you, JB, you don’t need to yell though, nigga. You soundin’ hella hyped. You good, fam?”
Again, there was heavy breathing, it sounded like he was outside or something. I just waited patiently, tapping my foot as I looked around and up at the sky. It sounded like he got into his car ‘cause I heard a door slam and an ignition turn.
“It’s Kairee.” Those were the next words he said to me.
“What about bro? How did his visit go with baby moms?”
I had a bad feeling about this. My heart started to race and I wasn’t sure why. I subconsciously walked closer to the front door of the house and leaned against the wall. It was like my body was preparing for something.
“He’s dead.”
“Woah, nigga you talking crazy now. What the fuck are you talking about?! Is this some sick joke? Where is Kairee, don’t play with me, man.”
“I’m not lying! Why would I lie about something like that? He’s dead, Kaleo. I-I don’t know all the details yet but they did him dirty. Kaleo, they shot him while he went to see baby moms. They must have followed him and shot him down. K-Kaleo?!”
I dropped my phone and damn near collapsed. I held my weight up against the wall and found it so much harder to breathe. My chest was tight and tears started to flow. I could hear JB yelling through the phone, trying to see if I was still on the other line.
All I could think of was the last thing he said to me before he went to go see Chloe. It didn’t faze me then, but now it's fucking eating at me. He thanked me like he knew he was going down. I’m sure lil nigga didn’t know he was going down. I know he didn’t. But shit man, those were the last words I was ever going to hear from my bro. What the hell?!
I was a ball of emotion. I was pissed and I wanted to fucking murder whoever did this to my little bro right now. I wanted them dead. I paced back and forth in the front yard, wanting to scream out loud in frustration but I couldn’t bring myself to scream. Everythin
g was spinning and I wanted to vomit. Everything moved in slow motion and I was so dizzy. I needed to tell Momma, but how could I tell her how he died? Shit, now I was in a bind and I didn’t wanna even tell her. I couldn’t lie about this one. Shit!
I stumbled back to the front door and opened it up. I don’t even remember closing the door behind me, but apparently I did. It was like I was floating back towards the dining room. I could hear them laughing, but it was like a weird muffled laughter. I was just hella lightheaded and I couldn’t see straight. I felt like I was having a horrible head high and I swear I really thought I was floating and not walking. I bumped into walls and didn’t feel the pain. The walk felt like I had been walking for miles. My mind was just everywhere.
I finally made it to where they were and I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily like I had just finished running a marathon.
“Kaleo?” They all said in almost unison. I knew they said my name, but to me it sounded like they all just muttered something at the same time.
The Diary of a Side Chick 6 (SCD) Page 41
